Monitor Mag In Focus December 2022

The more things change …

A Message from BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.

Things change. Not always recognizably so but, often enough, change is noticeable. I was struck by that fact last week, while looking at some pictures and home movies of Christmas celebrations taken many years ago. Apart from the obvious changes in size and shape, clothing, hairstyles and ages of the celebrants, the decorations and ornaments heralding the season seemed different, simpler, unlike what we have today.

The tree was live then, but we didn’t dare bring it in the house until Christmas Eve; tinsel was meticulously hung amid the old glass ornaments handed down from a generation before; a train set chugged around a raised platform cluttered with cardboard neighborhoods; paper pictures of Christmas scenes adorned the walls; the Nativity had center stage – the whole scene appeared far-removed, almost ancient or, at least, “old fashioned” to my eyes. I viewed these pictures, almost with melancholy, as my mind wandered back to Christmases past. How things change!

Families at that time all appeared pretty much the same on Christmas morning. Midnight Mass behind them, parents looked happy but exhausted, having stayed up most of the night assembling Christmas decorations and presents.

Children, squealing with delight but equally exhausted, hav ing stayed up most of the night pretending to be asleep as they waited for Santa. Mom, in her apron, setting the Christmas ta ble; Dad, in his new sweater, supervising the holiday scene; toys scattered everywhere with the kids darting about from one new thing to the other. Andy Williams and Nat King Cole on the record player. It was “family time” as we waited for grandparents and relatives to arrive. And it all felt so good. But things change.

By comparison, our Christmas celebrations today are a bit

more polished and packaged. We still look forward to them, although the family rituals have been adapted somewhat. The season begins earlier and is assembled and dissembled with more precision and probably a bit of disinterest.

We are much busier today. Life and its pace seem faster. So much of the tone of Christmas is dictated by shopping malls and a consumer society. But with all the changes that can be observed over the years, one thing has never changed and that is the “reason for the season.”

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you who is Christ the Lord!

Glory to God in the highest and peace to all who enjoy his favor (Luke 2:11,14).

Christmas, indeed, has many aspects to it and many ways of presenting itself – some “old fashioned,” some cutting edge. But the Christmas season is, in itself, a “beauty ever ancient, ever new.”

Why? Because the birth of Christ spans the decades, the centuries, the millennia from that first night in Bethlehem to this very moment, this very Christmas, with a message that is timeless and unchangeable: “For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Son so that everyone who believes in Him may not be lost but may have eternal life” (John 3:16).

What a Gift we have received and still receive at Christmas! And no matter how we celebrate it – with the nostalgia of Christmases past or the fast pace of Christmases present – it is the Gift that keeps on giving everyday throughout the year, “news of great joy to be shared by the whole world” (Luke 2: 10). The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Glory to God! Merry Christmas and all God’s blessings in the New Year!

From the Bishop

 To view a video of Bishop O’Connell’s Christmas message go to Youtube.com/trentondiocese

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 ... one thing has never changed, and that is the “reason for the season.”

BY DAVID GIBSON  Catholic News Service

Are you looking for the Lord this Christmas? Then consider casting your gaze closer to home than you might at first feel inclined to do, the Gospel of John seems to suggest in the immensely thought-provoking and highly familiar Gospel reading heard this Christmas Day during Masses in Catholic churches.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” the reading commences. Then, revealing why it is heard on Christmas, it proclaims: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (Jn 1:14).

Where did God’s incarnate Word make his dwelling? “Among us,” in this world, which we, alongside 8 billion others, inhabit for better or worse. Inhabiting it “for better” is clearly what Christians have in mind on Christmas.

John’s Gospel in only a few words says so much about where

to locate the Lord. Don’t forget to look for him here, among us.

In looking for the Lord, Pope Francis counsels, don’t forget to direct your gaze toward others. Gaze also into the created universe, particularly planet Earth, which he calls “our common home.” It is a favorite theme of his.

When looking for the Lord, many almost instinctively look upward and away from the com motion surrounding them. Pope Francis readily recognizes that prayerful, quiet time away from the world’s busyness is wonderful. But what if we also gaze out ward, turning toward the people found there and their noisy environments?

Jesus cleared a way to recognizing “the face of God reflect

Finding the Lord can start close to home, where we live and spend our time, as seen by this parishioner selecting gift tags from the Tree of Love in St. Mary Parish, Colts Neck, in order to give to a person in need from the community. Mike Ehrmann photo

 The message in John’s first chapter extends ... a Christmas challenge.

Buon Natale!

Our Christmas menu

ed in so many other faces,” Pope Francis observed in his 2018 apostolic exhor tation on holiness today (Gaudete et Exsultate). “In every one of our brothers and sisters, especially the least, … God’s very image is found” (61). Notably, the Pope cautioned against claiming “to say where God is not, because God is mys teriously present in the life of every person, in a way that he himself chooses.”

Actually, “even when someone’s life appears completely wrecked, even when we see it devastated by vices or addictions, God is present there” (42).

God is present in our planet’s surroundings too, the Pope stresses. Laudato Si’, his 2015 encyclical on the environment, cited Brazil’s Catholic bishops in explaining “that nature as a whole not only manifests God but is also a locus of his presence. The Spirit of life dwells in every living creature and calls us to enter into relationship with him” (88).

The meaning of Christmas is profound. What is meant in saying that the Word of God “made his dwelling among us” is the very “stuff” of Christian prayer and reflection.

However, Christian history shows that this puzzled many over the centuries. Debates have raged about wheth er God’s Word became true flesh or how he could make his dwelling among the inhabitants of our Earth, where evil is no stranger and crucifixion awaited him.

The message in John’s first chapter is all about the Lord. Yet, it extends a challenge. I’ll call it a Christmas challenge. It encourages us to inhabit our dwelling places for the better, whether by “dwelling place” we mean our personal household or the Earth, our common home.

Our dwelling places tend to be called homes. They are places of belonging, welcome, care and love.

Creating a home means learning “to feel connected to others … in such a way as to feel that our life is a bit more human,” Pope Francis said in “Christ Lives,” his 2019 apos tolic exhortation directed principally to young people.

“To create these strong bonds,” he remarked, “requires confidence and trust nurtured daily by patience and for giveness. And that is how the miracle takes place: We feel that here we are reborn … because we feel God’s caress that enables us to dream of a more human world, and therefore of a world more divine” (217).

Gibson served on Catholic News Service’s editorial staff for 37 years.

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Faith’s beauty revealed in a humble scene of encounter

BY MARY CLIFFORD MORRELL  Contributing Editor

“Let

us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”

With these words, “the shepherds respond to God who comes to meet us in the Infant Jesus by setting out to meet him with love, gratitude and awe,” writes Pope Francis in his apostolic letter, Admirabile Signum, On the Meaning and Importance of the Nativity Scene.

“Thanks to Jesus, this encounter between God and his children gives birth to our religion and accounts for its unique beauty, so wonderfully evident in the Nativity Scene,” the Holy Father explains.

For more than 2,000 years the story of the Nativity of Jesus has been recalled in poetry, prose and hymns, and expressed in myriad art forms. Inspired by Scripture, holy men and women of the Church pronounced their faith in the mystery of Christ’s birth in ways that would become important elements of Christian tradition.

The most well-known of the traditions, the manger scene, is said to have been first created by St. Francis of Assisi. The story is told by St. Bonaventure, who recalled that in 1223, St. Francis visited the town of Greccio to celebrate midnight Mass. In order to accommodate a full congregation, St. Francis set up the altar in a niche in a rock near the town.

Born of his desire to nurture a love of Jesus in the hearts of those present, St. Francis brought the Nativity to life, in a sense, by preparing a manger, complete with hay, an ox and an ass.

As St. Bonaventure writes, “The man of God [St. Francis]

stood before the manger, full of devotion and piety, bathed in tears and radiant with joy; the Holy Gospel was chanted by Francis, the Levite of Christ. Then he preached to the people around the nativity of the poor King; and being unable to utter his name for the tenderness of his love, he called him the Babe of Bethlehem.”

St. Francis’ profound preaching carved the image of the birth of Christ into the hearts of those at Midnight Mass, especially those who could not read and would have no opportunity to study the Bible.

Throughout the centuries since then, the Christmas crèche has become a symbol of devotion and “part of the precious yet demanding process of passing on the faith,” writes Pope Francis. Reflecting on the mystery of the Incarnation, Pope Francis observes, “The crèche allows us to see and touch this unique and unparalleled event that changed the course of history, so that time would thereafter be reckoned either before or after the birth of Christ.”

When the shepherds stood before the Nativity Scene, like those who have stood before a Nativity Scene in all the years since, they saw Jesus born into a family, a community of love and relationship, his first bed a feeding trough for animals. Poor and disenfranchised as they were, the shepherds, and all who come to find Jesus, are welcomed by Mary and Joseph.

“The presence of the poor and the lowly in the Nativity Scene remind us that God became man for the sake of those who feel most in need of his love and who ask him to draw near to them. Jesus, ‘gentle and humble in heart,’ was born in poverty and led a simple life in order to teach us to recognize what is essential and to act accordingly. The Nativity Scene clearly teaches that we cannot let ourselves be fooled by wealth and fleeting promises of happiness. …” the Holy Father stresses.

With his apostolic letter, Pope Francis encourages the faithful to maintain the beautiful family tradition of preparing the Nativity Scene which is “like a living Gospel rising up from the pages of sacred Scripture,” not only in the home but wherever possible.

“As children,” writes Pope Francis, “we learn from our parents and grandparents to carry on this joyful tradition, which encapsulates a wealth of popular piety. It is my hope that this custom will never be lost and that, wherever it has fallen into disuse, it can be rediscovered and revived.”

Holy Family Focus

Some parishes of the Diocese are giving the Nativity special attention during December family events. If your parish has a Nativity event you would like us to publish, email Monitor-News@dioceseoftrenton.org.

Resurrection Parish, Delran is hosting a Grec cio Live Nativity Dec. 11 beginning at 3 p.m. on on the grounds of Holy Name Church, worship site of Resurrection Parish. The scene will be recreated by parish students, accompanied by music, live animals (weather permitting), and followed by refreshments and fellowship. Holy Name Church is located at 260 Conrow Road.

St. David the King Parish, Princeton Junction invites all to attend a family gathering, “Bringing the Story of Christmas Alive!” Dec. 11, 2-5 p.m. in the parish’s Great Hall. This performance by Frank Runyeon of Runyeon Productions is entitled: “The 3 ½ Stories of Christmas.” After the performance, Mass will be celebrated by Father Jason Parzynski, diocesan vocations director. Those who wish to attend should contact Donna DeLorenzo at dde lorenzo@stdavidtheking.com, and you will be sent a Sign-up Genius link. St. David the King Church is located at 1 New Village Road.

Holy Eucharist Parish, Tabernacle, will present “A Journey to Christmas,” a drive-thru Living Nativ ity experience for the whole family on Dec 16 from 6-9 p.m. The Living Nativity will feature live actors and animals. Holy Eucharist Parish is located at 520 Medford Lakes Road.

Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Hainesport, Christmas 2021. Courtesy photo

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BY MARY CLIFFORD MORRELL  Contributing Editor

When Clement Clarke Moore wrote, “An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas,” as a Christmas poem for his children in 1822 it’s unlikely he realized the influence it would have on the American Christmas and image of St. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myrna, known for helping the poor.

Today this iconic and well-loved poem is best known as, “The Night Before Christmas.” It was written during a time when Christmas celebrations were quiet family affairs, if celebrated at all, and gift-giving wasn’t common.

Clarke portrayed the generous St. Nicholas, known among the Dutch as Sinterklass, as a jolly, portly, red-cheeked elf and the American Santa Claus took on life. Over time, Christmas became focused on Santa, children, gift-giving, and, eventually, commercialism.

Of course, there are others who hold that with his 1843 classic, “A Christmas Carol,” Charles Dickens invented Christmas, while others say that he revived Christmas celebrations with his always relevant story about the transformation of the human spirit from “bah humbug!” to one of generosity, compassion and love as the heart of the Christmas season.

A quote from the timeless classic identifies Dicken’s inspiration: “It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself.”

“As we contemplate the Christmas story,” said Pope Francis, “we are

The first edition frontis piece and title page of “A Christmas Carol” dating back to 1843. Wikimedia image

invited to set out on a spiritual journey, drawn by the humility of the God who became man in order to encounter every man and woman. We come to realize that so great is his love for us that he became one of us, so that we in turn might become one with him.”

The power of the written word to influence an understanding of Christmas is well-documented and is an opportunity Catholic families can embrace by engaging their children in holiday reading.

Establishing a tradition of reading together during Advent and Christmas provides time for questions and conversations about the meaning of Christmas, about waiting for the Lord with an open heart, about the Nativity and Incarnation, about giving and not just receiving.

Favorite Christmas Stories:

“Advent Storybook: 24 Stories to Share Before Christmas” by Antonie Schneider and Maja Dusikovaa, illustrator, is the story of Benjamin Bear who cannot wait for Christmas to come, so his mother tells him that every day when he opens a door on his Advent calendar, she’ll tell him a story about another little bear and his long journey to Bethlehem to see the Christ Child.

“The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry and P.J. Lynch, illustrator, is a classic tale of love and sacrifice as the most meaningful of Christmas gifts.

“Joy to the World” by Tomie dePaola is a favorite Christmas collection which includes the well-loved stories of “The Night of Las Posadas,” “The Story of the Three Wise Kings” and “The Legend of the Poinsettia.”

“The Donkey’s Tales: The Story of Jesus” by Adele Colvin and Peyton Carmichael, is a story about a grandmother donkey who carried Mary to Bethlehem and the donkey’s grandson who carried Jesus into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday.

“The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey” by Susan Wojciechowski and P.J. Lynch, illustrator, is a touching story about a widow and her son who ask reclusive woodcarver Jonathan Toomey to carve a Nativity scene for them in time for Christmas. What happens is a hopeful, joyful Christmas miracle.

“The Carpenter’s Gift: A Christmas Tale about the Rockefeller Center Tree” by David Rubel and Jim LaMarche, illustrator, a modern classic Christmas story which opens in Depression-era New York City, teaches children the spirit of the season by bringing together two great New York City traditions: the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and the neighbor-helping-neighbor program of Habitat for Humanity.

“Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem” by Maya Angelou and illustrators Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, inspires readers to embrace the peace and promise of Christmas in a poem about a family that joins with their very diversified community to celebrate the holidays.

“The Peace of Christmas: Quiet Reflections with Pope Francis,” published by Franciscan Media, offers adults the oppor tunity to reflect on the Incarnation as a reality of Catholic faith.

For more suggestions on Christmas books for children and teens, including a graphic novel about St. Nicholas, God’s Gift-Giver, visit paulinestore.com/Christmas-for-children.

FOR OTHER CHRISTMAS BOOK IDEAS, VISIT THESE LOCAL BOOKSELLERS:



Cross & Shamrock, Hamilton Square • www.crossandshamrock.com



Saint Leo the Great Store, Lincroft • www.stleothegreat. com/store

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Good Shepherd Book and Gift, New Monmouth • www. goodshepherdstore.com



TOM MCDONALD, St. Mary of the Lakes, Medford, and fourth candidate in the diocesan diaconate formation program.

The Chimes, by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol is so beloved that it overshad ows the other Christmas books by Dickens, including his second, The Chimes. Although set on New Year’s Eve, it con tinues the structure and Christmas themes of its predecessor. This tale of another nighttime supernatural intervention warns against despair and indifference, while also urging us to lift up those who have fallen on hard times.



MATT LAUGHLAND, Corpus Christi, Willingboro

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol reminds me that life is so short and fragile and that we should be forgiving and invite joy into our hearts. We should not be upset and full of anger like the character, Ebenezer Scrooge. We need to remember that there are both good and bad moments in life, but it’s our reaction to these moments that defines our character and how others perceive us. 

THERESA O’CONNOR, St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville

The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian Andersen

The story seems sad, but it lights up my heart. It’s a reminder for all of us to show kindness to those who struggle. In the end the Little Match Girl is embraced by her loving grandmother who escorts her to heaven. Her pain is over and you feel joy that she is now in God’s loving arms. That is what the Christmas story is, we are all loved by God. 

MONICA VILLAVICENCIO, Santa María, Barnegat

Mi cuento favorito seria “Las Posadas”, como yo recuerdo la tradición fue que la Virgen María y San José llegaron a Belén para descansar y pedir posada. El cuento me recuerda de mi niñez cuando cantábamos, hacíamos rezos y rompíamos piñatas. Pedíamos posadas con peregrinos, caminábamos de casa a casa para arrullar al niño Jesús al final de la posada. También podemos aprender sobre valores esenciales como la generosidad, la solidaridad, la caridad y la empatía de esta hermosa historia tradicional y la nostalgia que me trae al pensar de mi mama y enseñárselo a mis hijos. 

JENNY VIOLA, St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel, and English teacher, Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Besides the style of the prose and the kinds of colorful descriptions Dickens is famous for, the story is timeless! We’re reminded that all of us can redeem ourselves and because of that, there is always a chance to start anew and do better – a hopeful message that’s especially poignant at Christmas time. Through the character of Ebenezer Scrooge, we see that the joys of family and friendship and generos ity are elusive to the greedy and self-centered. When we care about our impact on others, we become the best versions of ourselves.

BY LISA ANN LIMONGELLO  Special Contributor

Some of us may have heard our pastor exclaim, “Happy New Year!” at the end of November, and wonder, “Did we miss something?!” The holidays may go by in the blink of an eye, but not quite that fast.

With his explanation, the priest reminds us that Catholics celebrate the start of a New Liturgical Year on the First Sunday of Advent, the four-week season leading up to Christmas Day; it’s a time of preparation and waiting for the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

Just as we normally make our lists of New Year Resolutions to get into the mindset of changing our goals and habits for the coming year, I think it is important for families to create their New Liturgical Year Resolutions to refocus on living out faith as a family.

T H HOM

saying the Mealtime Prayer when you sit down for dinner together. Have your kids make up prayers for before meals or bedtime if that will help get them involved. I think back to when I was younger and all my siblings and I really struggled with the Mealtime Prayer – so we prayed a new one: “God is good, God is great, and we thank Him for our food. Amen.” Simple. Now all of us are well into our twenties and we still like our version better.

F E CA SA

As Catholics who are living in a world surrounded by busy schedules and the sometimes difficult challenges of life, we struggle with finding the time to sit down and think about how we can deepen our relationship with our faith.

What small or big things can we adjust in our everyday lives that could bring us closer to God? This Advent, I encourage you to take a moment to come up with a list of at least three things you can do to reignite faith in your household.

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW YOU CAN INVITE CHRIST INTO YOUR HOME THIS NEW LITURGICAL YEAR:

1. Pray. This is the first, and most important, habit I urge you to add to your list. You can incorporate traditional prayers into your routine if that’s the easy place for you to begin prayer. Commit to

2. Incorporate faith-focused music. If praying as a group is difficult at first, incorporating music in the car or while you’re cooking might be a good place to start. Many popular artists have a distinctly Christian/Catholic tone in their music – we just need to take the time to listen and use the lyrics prayerfully. Commit to playing secular and Catholic Christmas music while baking this season. Check out artists like Carrie Underwood, Chris Tomlin, Lauren Daigle, and Elevation Worship.

3. Attend Mass as a family. The Church is open and waiting to greet you at the front door. Do your best to attend Mass as regularly as you can. If you need to start with once a month – do it. Work yourself up to going each week. Commit to getting your family into a routine on Sunday mornings and make it a fun

experience for your kids. Mass shouldn’t feel like a chore for parents or for your children, so do what you can to make it a family outing they’ll enjoy.

4. Get involved. There are tons of ways for your entire family to get involved in your parish community and to serve the local community. Look into ministries in which every member of your gang can be involved: altar serving, Children’s Liturgy, choir, men’s and women’s groups, Bible study, Mass readers and so much more. Check your parish bulletin and see what’s being offered. Commit to joining a ministry or small group this year.

We get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of the everyday carpooling, email chains and updating social media, that our connection to the Church community is put on the back burner. That’s okay sometimes. Just like when we struggle to keep up with our New Year Resolutions or we slack on one of the goals we set for ourselves, we don’t give up on them completely.

Setting goals for the New Liturgical Year is the first step in the right direc tion; it’s the first step to bettering your family’s relationship with God. By plan ning, trying your best to stick by that plan, and knowing that no one is perfect, you can begin to feel more connected to Christ in 2023.

Lisa Ann Limongello serves as parish catechetical leader for The Catholic Community of Hopewell Valley.

Faith at Home is a monthly column coordinated by the Diocese of Trenton’s Departments of Catechesis, Evangelization and Family Life, and Youth and Young Adult Ministry. For additional Faith at Home resources, visit dioceseoftrenton.org/faith-at-home

Haciendo que la fe se mantenga viva en tu familia

EN N

Making Faith Come Alive for Your Family

FA I

E AT

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BY NANCY WIECHEC  Catholic News Service

Once thought to be more valuable than gold, cinnamon is mentioned in the Bible as one of the finest of spices. Sourced from the bark of a specific evergreen tree, it has been used for thousands of years as a fragrance and seasoning.

Sweet, woody, warm notes complement sugar perfectly, so cinnamon is found in sweet recipes more than savory ones. During fall and winter, the cinnamon jar is sure to get a good shaking for all sorts of baked goods – cookies, pastries, breads and other treats.

Cinnamon is a feature of this showstopping breakfast casserole. For Christmas Day serving, prepare most of it the night before and bake in early morning. If the family has yet to rise, the smell of French toast, cinnamon and smoky bacon will surely get them up and moving.

Start by cooking the bacon ahead. Thick-sliced bacon works best in this dish. Cook it until just crisp and let it drain on paper towels. Once it’s cool, chop into rough pieces, throw it into a covered dish or plastic bag and keep in the fridge until ready to bake the casserole.

An egg and butter bread like challah or brioche adds richness to the dish, but you can also use French bread. Be sure to use whole milk and heavy cream. If you substitute low-fat dairy, you may end up with a watery interior instead of a rich custard-like filling.

Cinnamon French Toast Bake with Bacon-Pecan Streusel

Time: 40 minutes prep, 1 hour baking • Servings: 12

For the custard bread:

1 tablespoon softened butter for greasing

Large loaf of brioche, challah or French bread, roughly cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

8 large eggs

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon vanilla ½ teaspoon salt

For the streusel:

½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold butter, cut into cubes 5 thick bacon slices, cooked to just crisp and roughly chopped 1 cup pecan pieces

If you plan to assemble the casserole the night before, prepare the bacon and the streu sel topping and refrigerate both in separate containers. If you make the casserole the same day as baking, allot an hour of time for bread to soak up the egg mixture.

Liberally grease a large, deep casserole or 9-by-13 baking pan, then add the bread cubes.

Whisk or blend the eggs with milk, cream, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Pour mixture over the bread cubes and gently press down until bread is submerged. Cover the casserole with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Alternatively, leave in the refrigerator overnight.

Prepare the streusel topping by mixing the flour with sugar, cinnamon and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until pea-size crumbs form. Stir in pecan pieces.

Remove the casserole from the fridge.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Uncover the casserole and sprinkle chopped bacon over the bread. Then cover the entire casserole with streusel mix.

Bake 45-55 minutes. The casserole should be puffy and nicely browned on top. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

Serve with fresh-brewed coffee and hot chocolate. Offer orange slices, berries, pow dered sugar and maple syrup for the table.

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We offer our warmest congratulations and God’s blessings to all the couples, celebrating their special milestone Wedding anniversaries in 2019!

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From all of us here at A.B. Carpet. Walt & Chris Ganz

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A.B. Carpet

1600 Perrineville Road Monroe Township, NJ 08831 (609) 395-5588

A.B. Carpet

1600 Perrineville Road Monroe Township, NJ 08831 (609) 395-5588 www.abcarpetnj.com

www.abcarpetnj.com

THE YEAR OF JUBILEE Celebration Prayer Starters

by Br. Mickey McGrath

Some of the finest homilists come together, once again, to build a compilation of sermons and homilies for Cycle A in the Liturgical Year. A Prisoner and You Visited Me breaks open the Sunday and Feast Days readings in order to provide insight, warmth, humor and spiritual food for the reader. Under the moniker Homilists for the Homeless, the gift of these preachers makes it possible for proceeds from the sale of every book to go toward charities that serve and support those who live on the margin. | $22.00 Also available on Amazon.com

the lives of

founders: the 400th Anniversary of the Death of St. Francis De Sales (1567-1622) and the 450th anniver sary of the Birth of St. Jane de Chantal (1572-1641). A genuine community effort and labor of love have produced this set of Prayer Starters, which includes thoughts and quotes from the writings of these two great saints. On the reverse side of each card, you will find short prayer reflections contributed by various guest contributors, including single lay persons, religious nuns, brothers, and priests, each of whom loves the timeless and practical Spirituali ty of St. Francis and St. Jane. | $20

The theme of Brother Mickey's 2023 Calendar is “WORDS OF WISDOM”. The illuminated quotes come from many varied sources and hopefully, will help you feel the peaceful and loving presence of God in these challenging times. | $15.00

Elizabeth, a 12-year old American, visits Ireland with her Irish mother and American father. While there, she visits her aunt, the abbess of a Cistercian abbey in County Cork who tells her about the history of women in the Church. Young women are increasingly asking about their roles in the world and in the Church. In Elizabeth Visits the Abbey, the positive depiction of marriage, of the single life, and of religious life added to the historical discussion of women in the Church lend themselves to wider conversations in the classroom and at home. | $11.00 Also available on Amazon.com

Ten-year-old Beth asks her parents about the new deacon in the parish. They explain the diaconate and she is surprised. She quickly finds out that her classmates do not know what a deacon is or what a deacon does. She and her friend Carol ask their CCD teacher, who explains what a deacon is today and helps them to begin to think about the future. Beth’s story can encourage young people in the Church to dream about the diaconate. This lovely story is a starting point for vocational discussions with family and teachers. For lower elementary (reading level M/L). | $10.00

Parishes in the Trenton Diocese joined with the global Church in observing the start of the Advent season Nov. 26-27. The first Mass begins with the blessing of the Advent wreath by the presider followed by the lighting of one violet candle. During the next four weeks, many parishes will schedule Advent offerings such as days/evenings of reflection, retreats, Penance services and family activities that are all directed to preparing the faithful to commemorate Christ’s Birth.

While the first weeks focus on the Second coming of Christ and the need for believers to be vigilant, the latter weeks “shift focus toward the Incarnation of Jesus who is the Light that penetrates the darkness of doubt and indifference,” said Father Jeffrey E. Lee, pastor of St. Mary Parish, Colts Neck. “It is a time to recognize the gift God gives to us in the person of Jesus Christ and in the Eucharist.”

1. John Shaddy, music minister in St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, lights the first Advent candle Nov. 26, as his wife, Susie, looks on. Joe Moore photo

2. Parishioners light the Advent wreath during Mass in the parish center of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Hainesport. Looking on is Father Joe Noche, pastor, the principal celebrant of the Mass. Facebook photo

A parishioner of St. Leo the Great, Lincroft, participates in an Advent wreath-making project at the parish. Facebook photo

A family from Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Trenton, joins Father Carlos Aguirre, pastor, in the sanctuary of Immaculate Conception Church, Trenton, where he leads a prayer before the Advent wreath. Facebook photo

Prior to lighting the first candle, Father John Testa, pastor of Corpus Christi Parish, Willingboro, blesses the Advent wreath during the 4 p.m. Mass Nov. 26. Mary Stadnyk photo

In St. Mary Church, Colts Neck, the Advent display is set up near the sanctuary and shows a wreath that is suspended from the ceiling and surrounded by four standing candles. In this photo, a bowl of incense, that is below the wreath, burns as Father Jeffrey E. Lee, pastor, celebrates Mass. Mike Ehrmann photo